DGUSA Mercury Rising 2011 iPPV – LIVE Coverage

Hours after ROH concluded their weekend of shows we’re back on iPPV with DGUSA’s Mercury Rising 2011. Three wild main events are on the cards as Akira Tozawa faces PAC for the Brave Gate, Ronin collide with Blood Warriors in a traditional Dragon Gate six-man tag, and Austin Aries challenges Yamato for the Freedom Gate with the self-imposed stipulation that should he lose he will leave the company.

 
It’s important to note this is the debut of DGUSA on WWNLive, their own dedicated internet streaming service that will also host Evolve 7 later this month. We’ve yet to see what this service is like so apologies in advance if this recap doesn’t go as smoothly as past ones. My early thoughts aren’t so good given the size of the video when not on full-screen mode, the fact it’s frozen multiple times already and we’re getting further and further past the advertised start time.
 

Jon Moxley vs. Arik Cannon

OK I have no idea how much of the match we’ve missed, but when I joined it Cannon was in control. By the time I got in a position to comment Cannon was throwing clotheslines and kipped up. Moxley tries to come back with a double axe handle from the second but Cannon blocked and hit an exploder suplex. He tries a brainbuster but Moxley lands on his feet and hits an Ace Crusher! Huge Lariat! Only two. Moxley gets a chair and swings and misses and it rebounds off the top rope and he hits himself. Brainbuster by Cannon, but Moxley kicks out. One of Moxley’s two valets Valerie Malone gets in the ring and distracts the ref, and Mox kicks Cannon low and then rolls him up for the win.
Winner: Jon Moxley via Pin-Fall (Low Blow)
 
Reby Sky gets on the mic and I can’t hear a word she’s saying. Moxley pushes Malone into her and they cat-fight. DDT by Sky. Trina Michaels attacks her from behind. Moxley lays her down and kisses her as Lenny Leonard makes less than tasteful jokes. Awful.

 
Austin Aries is cutting a promo and I can’t hear him either. It seems the commentary feed is coming through, but the microphones in the arena are only going to the speakers and not to us. The fans applaud regardless.
 

6-Man Elimination Match

Stalker Ichikawa vs. AR Fox vs. Silas Young vs. Jon Moxley vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Brodie Lee

This is my first time seeing Stalker and he’s freaked me out already, bringing out a trident and wearing an unusual black outfit. Brodie Lee now hails from Lincoln, Nebraska by way of Blood Warriors Office in Japan… they have an office? Damn, faction warfare is legit in DG. Ichikawa rips the ears off his mask and threatens AR Fox with them, doing some kung fu poses and rambling incoherently. Fox rolls him up for two to start the match. Silas and Jon Davis both charge and miss him, piling up in the corner. He runs to the opposite side and they all sprint across after him and miss again. He tries a crossbody but misses. This is getting crazy. Ichikawa lines all five of them up and makes them stand and wait for him to slap them one at a time, but only Brodie blocks. He pretends there’s a fly in there and slaps Brodie. he runs the ropes and Lee knocks him out. Good. Silas, Davis, Jacobs and Fox all take turns to charge Brodie in the corner. Ichikawa tries a tumbling handspring but lands on his head. Davis attacks Brodie and then lariats Stalker’s head off and pins him. Stalker Ichikawa is eliminated. The fans chant “you hate fun”. Davis and Brodie go at it and Davis gets a stunner and a huge punch but Lee busts out a running hurricanrana. Ridiculous. He follows with a suicide dive! AR Fox and Silas trade blows in the ring and Fox throws Young to the outside and then runs from corner to corner, vaulting the top rope and post with no hands and hitting a flip dive onto all five men. Jacobs gets back in the ring and they want a dive but instead he fetches Ichikawa and encourages him to dive. He takes the top rope and dives but everybody just moves and unfortunately he survives. Davis and Jacobs go at it back in the ring and Davis hits a big spinning powerslam. AR Fox attacks and hits basically a Stratusfaction out of the corner. Split-legged corkscrew senton by Fox! Superkick by Brodie Lee! Silas attacks Brodie and hits a pair of big kicks and then tries a suplex because he’s retarded. Brodie fights free and absorbs several big strikes. Huge german suplex by Silas Young! AR Fox attacks Young. He ends up on the apron and does a tiger wall kick up the post and moonsaults Brodie on the outside. He takes to the top rope and hits… something on Silas. Not sure if it was a knee strike or a DDT. Silas kicks out. Jacobs hits a double Contra Code and pins AR Fox. AR Fox is eliminated. He tries to Spear Silas but gets his ass POUNCED. Big powerslam on Young. Silas uses his speed to take it to Brodie but gets placed on the top rope and punched. Silas flies off and hits a hurricanrana but then gets punched back down. End Time! Silas tries to pull Jacobs off Brodie but gets End Timed himself! Finlay Roll! Arabian Press thingy misses, End Time! Tap out! Silas Young is eliminated. Davis attacks both men and gets Jacobs up for a fireman’s carry, but Brodie hits him with a big boot and Jacobs crucifix pins Davis. Jon Davis is eliminated. Jimmy locks in the End Time but gets thrown off and booted in the face. Jacobs dumps Brodie to the outside and hits a hurricanrana through the ropes to the outside and then hits a Contra Code on the floor! Brodie grabs him by the throat and tosses him back inside. Jacobs punts the rope as Brodie is stepping back in and then hits another Contra Code! Only two. Jacobs goes up top but Brodie runs up the ropes and hits a butterfly superplex!!! Truck Stop! It’s over.

Winner: Brodie Lee via Pin-Fall (Truck Stop)

 
Arik Cannon is backstage and on the mic and I can hear him. Yay. He says he’s been wrestling a long time and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but tonight he got f**ed. He’s pissed off and he’s going to start doing things his way. Isn’t this like what Sami Callihan said he’d do? Speaking of which…
 

Non-Title Match

Sami Callihan vs. Masato Yoshino

Yoshino doesn’t even get announced as a title holder despite holding the Dream Gate and United Gates. Yoshino sprints faster than anyone ever but Callihan eventually catches and takes him down. Big chop by Sami. Body slam. Running elbow. And another. Oh hey why not a third? Two count. He mounts Yoshino from behind with his arms tied up (nohomothough) and drives his forearm into the back of his head twice. Sami stomps away at Yoshino and then hits another big chop. And another. Two count. Crazy splash gets two. Callihan is doing the whole “I’m insane, listen to me yell” thing. Yoshino leaps over him as he charges in the corner and then hits the ropes and nails the Sling Blade. Callihan tries a dropkick but falls to the mat and gets dropkicked in the face. Hammerlock DDT by Yoshino! Yoshino misses Callihan and gets hit with a leaping Russian leg sweep. Sami tries a powerbomb but Yoshino lands on his feet… From Jungle! He turns it into a pin but only gets two. Double stomp from the top to the arm! He tries another but misses and Callihan makes him pay with a huge running knee. He misses a body splash from the top rope and Yoshino caves his chest in with a missile dropkick for two. They trade many palm strikes to the face and Yoshino blocks a pair of lariats, ducks a third attempt but finally Sami nails it for two. Emerald Flowsion! Two count. I may not like Callihan, but he hits pretty damn hard. He tries another Flowsion but Yoshino rolls him up. They trade pin attempts and end up back on their feet. Callihan runs right into the Lightning Spiral!!! Only two. Torbelino! Sol Naciente! Callihan gives up.

Winner: Masato Yoshino via Submission (Sol Naciente)

Sami Callihan takes the mic and says it’s no laughing matter and he’s done f***ing around. Yay we’re on the indies so we can swear!

Jon Moxley is on the mic and the fans cheer his jokes about being stylish. He may be wearing a bath robe. Oh no, it’s just a strange hoodie. He says Austin Aries is going to lose and be out of DGUSA forever, forever, forever, forever, FOREVER. There may have been more Forevers.

Open the Brave Gate Title Match

Akira Tozawa vs. PAC

Formal in-ring introductions of course as it’s a title match. Yoshino seconds PAC. Leonard Chikarason believes this will be a slow contest… kay. PAC wins the early technical battle but Tozawa takes him down and grabs a headlock. He’s yelling “ask him!” Tozawa has been watching his Jericho tapes. PAC takes him down by the arm and wrenches away. Tozawa gets the arm himself and then takes PAC down with a headlock and both men get to their feet for a stand-off. More trading of arm locks and now waist-locks and Tozawa decides enough of this wrestling stuff and punches PAC twice in the back of the head. Huge shoulder tackle by Tozawa. They evade each other and Tozawa gets a dropkick and knocks PAC to the floor. PAC returns to the ring and gets choked in the corner. Cravate… pele kick! Cravate takeover, kick to the spine. PAC gets right back up and snapmares Tozawa and kicks him in the spine. They trade chops in the corner with PAC getting the better of it. He can’t suplex Tozawa and finds himself being snap suplexed instead. One count only. Chin lock. Body slam by Tozawa and then a huge cannonball senton for two. Hard forearm strikes in the corner and then some foot chokes, breaking before five three times before returning to it. Snapmare and now a seated abdominal stretch. PAC hip-tosses his way free but gets dropkicked. Body slam by Tozawa and he immediately goes for his apron diving headbutt but of course misses. He tries a jumping headbutt but PAC kicks him in the face and chokes him in the corner for revenge. Butterfly suplex floated over into a pin gets two. Jumping double stomp and then a standing shooting star gets another two. Northern lights suplex gets two. Tozawa is now tougher than Homicide. PAC locks in a headscissors and a cut that he apparently acquired at Tozawa’s hands in last night’s main event has been reopened. PAC talks trash and heels it up big time, mocking Tozawa and firing away with forearms. Tozawa reverses a whip and hits a dropkick, then a basement dropkick to the knee, then a running dropkick to the head. PAC rolls to the floor. No-hand suicide dive!!! And another! The fans chant for one more dive but Tozawa decides to just hit a cannonball off the apron instead. Running elbow smash in the corner back inside the ring and then a big saito suplex gets two. He calls for the big emperor german suplex but can’t get it. O’Connor Roll and then a sort of half german suplex, half saito suplex. I guess that’s a Chaos Theory. Two count. PAC fights back and hits a springboard dropkick, kips up, goes back to the apron and nails another springboard dropkick, this time to the back of the head. Two count. Step up enzuigiri in the corner by PAC and then a springboard 450 splash!!! Only two. PAC taunts Tozawa some more and they start trading forearms. Each man hits a spin kick to the gut, but Tozawa follows with a spinning enzuigiri. He runs the ropes but PAC hits an enzuigiri of his own. Sunset flip by PAC but Tozawa rolls back and hits a huge basement dropkick to the face! Both men down. Bicycle kick in the corner that would make Generico proud, and then another. PAC avoids a kick, and german suplexes Tozawa to death. PAC get right back up and hits an equally brutal german to PAC!!! Both men struggle to their feet and trade forearms again. Bicycle kick by Tozawa! He charges in the corner twice and gets knocked down each time. PAC takes to the second rope and misses a Phoenix Splash! Tozawa hits a running double knees to the chest for two! Emperor German Suplex!!! Only two! He tries a straight-jacket german but PAC blocks it. He lands on his feet out of a regular german suplex, goes behind and hits one of his own for three!

Winner and Still Champion: PAC via Pin-Fall (German Suplex)

 
PAC shakes Tozawa’s hand but then Blood Warriors hit the ring and destroy everybody in it. Brodie does the big damage of course. They pose, Cima claims they’ll win the belts tomorrow, then leave. Various wrestlers from the back including Sugar Dunkerton help PAC, Yoshino and Tozawa to the back.
 
Ronin Baby! They’re backstage and ready to cut a promo. Taylor pretends he doesn’t like Rich Swann and says not only do they belong with Blood Warriors, they’ll win. Gargano says they’ll give them a fight. Swann yells RONIN BABY!!!
 

Intermission

They run a serious of videos during intermission including Ronin’s debut of their epic theme music, PAC & Yoshino talking about winning the belts, and the saga between Akira Tozawa and Kamikaze USA.

We’re back from intermission and four guys from the pre-show try-outs attempt to have a tag team match but luckily Sami Callihan hits the ring and destroys them. He takes the mic and swears way too much… again. Arik Cannon hits the ring! He steps up to Callihan and he swears too much as well. He and Cannon get in each other’s faces. Each man complains, Cannon kills some jobbers too and then the two brawl to the back. Lenny Leonard then insults Bryce Remsberg. Bad times.
 
PAC gets on the mic backstage, stares at the camera until he gets a nod and then says Blood Warriors have their (World-1’s) attention. That’s it.
 

Open the Freedom Gate Title Match

Austin Aries vs. Yamato

Remember, if Aries wins the title, he will defend against Jimmy Jacobs tomorrow night, but if he loses, that match with Jacobs will be his last in DGUSA. Moxley seconds Yamato and tries to cut a promo but Yamato takes the mic and orders him to the back, claiming he is a fighting champion. Odd. Formal in-ring introductions. They go to the mat and Aries gets the better of it before they break. Same happens again as Lenny Leonard talks about how Aries wants to be the face of the company or else he’ll walk away. Aries takes Yamato down again and locks up the legs and grabs a chin lock. Yamato finally gets an advantage on the mat but they break again. They battle on the mat and Yamato gets the better of it as Leonard talks about Yamato changing since winning the belt. They break in the corner… Brainbuster!!!! Yamato kicks out at two! 450 Splash!!! He kicks out again. That was unexpected. They battle on the floor and Aries tosses Yamato over the barricade and into the fans. He throws Yamato back in and hits a slingshot tope and then drops some knees and tries to work Yamato over. Big overhand chop in the corner and then a running clothesline in the opposite corner and a bulldog gets two. He drapes Yamato’s leg over the middle rope in the corner and then hits a running dropkick to the knee. He pulls Yamato’s leg down across the top rope and then lets him roll to the floor. Yamato crawls under the ring, goes all the way around and attacks Aries from behind, tossing him to the outside. Yamato uses a broom to attack Aries right in front of the referee which should clearly be a DQ. They trade chops on the outside before rolling back in and it’s Yamato’s turn to lay in some stomps and work the knee. He beats Aries down in the corner and hits a dropkick to the knee. Strange, painful looking leg submission, sort of like a tighter version of Davey Richards’ Trailer Hitch Ankle Lock. Aries gets to the ropes. Yamato charges Aries but gets hit with an STO. Aries can’t follow up as Yamato trips him into an Ankle Lock. Aries gets the ropes, but Yamato drags him back and locks in the Figure Four. Aries eventually escapes and hits another STO and follows with the powerdrive elbow. Yamato tries the Choke Sleeper and then both men german suplex each other. Yamato rolls outside and tries to go under the ring again but Aries plays possum and avoids a charge, sending Yamato to the outside and follows with the Heat Seeking Missile!!! They battle for a Brainbuster on the apron and Aries ends up back inside with Yamato draped on the top rope where Aries destroys him with a short brainbuster! Yamato goes to the knee and then hits a gourdbuster but misses the kick to the head, Aries hits a shinbreaker and then locks in the Figure-8! Yamato gets out of it. Single leg crab by Yamato! Aries escapes. Huge running elbow smash by Yamato but Aries fires back with some of his own. Big boot from Yamato! Elbow smash by Aries! Choke Sleeper! Sleeper Suplex!!! Only two. Exploder suplex over the top rope to the floor!!! Yamato taunts the fans and calls for a brainbuster on the apron but Aries counters… Death Valley Driver on the apron!!! Aries rolls Yamato back in and goes up top but Yamato recovers and hits a superplex but both men get a pin! Only two for both of them. They stumble around and trade strikes until Aries can hit his shinbreaker/saito suplex combo, with Yamato landing painfully. Aries has that insane look in his eye as he hits the I.E.D. in the corner… and another! Huge Brainbuster!!! Only two! Aries goes back up top and misses a 450… enzuigiri by Yamato! Kick to the head! Brainbuster is countered into a roll-up… kick to the head by Aries! Brainbuster by Yamato!!!! Aries kicks out at 1! Brainbuster by Aries!!! Only two. Many elbows! Kick to the head! Brainbuster is countered into a Galleria!!! Only two. Insane kick to the face! Galleria again! It’s over. Aries is gone.

Winner and Still Champion: Yamato via Pin-Fall (Galleria)

Yamato bows to Aries after the match and Aries leaves looking depressed and in pain (naturally). Fans chant “Please don’t go!”

Jimmy Jacobs is backstage with a mic and he talks about running through road blocks and getting knocked down sometimes, such as against Brodie Lee. He says when things go back for him he gets back up and tomorrow he’ll face Austin Aries. He puts over the match we just saw and says it’s fitting they face each other given their history. He says it won’t be a celebration of the end of his career, it’s about the start of his road to the title.

Blood Warriors vs. Ronin

Cima, Naruki Doi & Ricochet vs. Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano & Rich Swann

Rich Swann sings Ronin to the ring and I’m a very happy tired British dude. They have had matching gear made with Chucky and Swann wearing long tights, and Gargano in short trunks. Brodie Lee seconds Blood Warriors. Cima body slams Stalker Ichikawa on the outside. Mean. All six men are getting individual ring introductions and they’re taking forever. Lenny Leonard has changed his tune about who is a heel and who is a face since the January shows. OK it’s taking longer and longer to update this page so given the pace they’re going to go I apologise in advance for the less frequent updates, I’ll miss too much if I keep it regular. Blood Warriors jump Ronin as soon as the intros are done and Swann gets worked over by Doi and Cima. They hold Swann on the top rope and Doi and then Ricochet run and vault onto his gut, followed by Cima hitting a double stomp from the top. Lenny Leonard is cursing too. This is madness. Swann uses insane speed and does a front flip and then a dropkick and then tags Gargano. Cima immediately floors him and hits a running elbow drop. Spin kick by Gargano and then a double stomp to the back. Lariat in the corner, knee lift, and a neckbreaker by Gargano. Ricochet flies into the ring with a dropkick and Taylor attacks him. Huge deja vu satellite headscissors by Ricochet. Rope rebound arm drag and a roll up by Taylor. Ricochet runs the ropes but gets hit with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Running dropkick by Gargano. Swann does a handstand and holds Cima with his feet as Cima and Taylor hit stereo kicks! Pele kick by Swann! He works Cima in the corner and does a backflip and then a poke to the eye. Taylor and Gargano back in and they use the back elbow and dancing elbow drop. Cima tags Doi and works Chucky in the corner, wrenching his leg and then hitting a running dropkick to the knee. Ricochet and Gargano tag in and Ricochet attempts a standing moonsault but gets kicked in the face! Gargano mocks the Warriors taunt and then brings Taylor in for an absolutely gorgeous dropkick. Gargano returns and he locks the legs up while Taylor uses the Total Non-Stop Alex and then Gargano does a Muta Lock! Knees to the spine by Gargano… Swann flips back up and hits a headscissors and tags Cima. He kicks Gargano and hits a cannonball senton before tying him up in one of those bizarre submissions. Swann taunts Cima and causes the break. Ricochet tags in and he hits a big springboard senton. Gargano takes his legs out and punches his face in before tagging Swann. He runs up Ricochet’s back and kicks him in the face. Nice. Doi attacks Swann from behind and Ricochet takes control with a big leg lariat. Standing moonsault gets two. Lenny Leonard dances around the history between Dragon Gate and the DGUSA officials. Doi and Cima enter the ring and double team Swann heel style. Super Droll! Or if you’d prefer, the Cutlers’ Six-Second Abs, but I’m 99.9% sure Cima’s been doing it longer. Doi hangs Swann upside down in the tree of woe and hits a huge running dropkick. Ricochet and Swann are legal now. Spinebuster by Ricochet, catapult into Doi who boots Swann in the gut, hits a neckbreaker, and then he and Cima hit a simultaneous kick to the head and running senton. Bryce argues with Ronin in amusing fashion as Blood Warriors use a stereo curb stomp! Another stereo curb stomp, this time onto a chair! Swann may be dead. Cima slaps Swann a few times and then whips him but Swann backflips for no reason, only to get dropkicked by Cima. Swann avoids a charge and puts Cima up top and hits a standing frankensteiner!!! Rolling body splash! Swann tags out and Taylor and Gargano knock Doi and Ricochet off the apron and then hit a double dropkick to the face of Cima. Gargano uses a sort of tarantula guillotine and Taylor dives over him and wipes out Ricochet and Doi on the floor. Gargano hits a suicide dive to the outside too. He tries a dive off the apron but Ricochet trips him and he falls on the apron. Doi tries a running dropkick but Gargano hits the Slingshot Spear! Lionsault by Taylor! Springboard splash by Swann! Taylor and Doi in now and Taylor hits Sole Food and then a uranage for two. Doi ties Taylor up in the ropes and hits infinite slaps and then a running back elbow and a running dropkick followed by a flipping senton off the top as Taylor hangs from the middle rope. Rydeen Bomb! Swann breaks it up. Cima attacks Swann and each man becomes legal. Swann uses awesome agility to end up on the apron. He botches a springboard move and gets kicked by Cima. Electric chair throw by Cima gets two. Superkick to the gut by Swann and then he stands on Cima’s back and leaps up and hits a leg drop to the back of the head! Crazy triple teams by Blood Warriors ending in a step-up shooting star by Ricochet. He tries a lionsault but Gargano dropkicks him in mid-air. Lawn Dart!!! Superkick! Asai Hero’s Welcome (Yes, that’s what it was)! Only two. Gargano’s the man. Ricochet avoids a charge and hits a snapmare driver and then a standing backflip senton but Taylor breaks up the pin. They exchange chops but Ricochet finds himself int eh corner and Taylor yells “Kill him” as they hit three running kicks in the corner. Gargano stacks Cima onto Ricochet’s shoulders and they sweep them both. Absolutely insane triple team… Gargano and Taylor hold Ricochet up, Swann jumps onto his stomach, springboards off and hits a hurricanrana on Cima, and then he synchronises a standing moonsault with a lifting double powerbomb. Wow. Ronin look for their finisher but it gets broken up by Doi and Cima uses a victory roll for two. Iconoclasm by Swann onto Gargano! Ricochet hits a reverse hurricanrana on Taylor! Doi 555’s to Swann! Bakatare Sliding Kick!!! Gargano breaks it up. Swann left alone in the ring with BW and they hit a running double knees, 818 and Dai Bosou! Stereo coast-to-coast missile dropkicks!!! Ricochet nearly hills himself failing a dive to the outside that makes him hit the ropes. Schweinn to Swann!!! Meteroa!!! Muscular Bomb by Doi!!! Over.

Winners: Blood Warriors via Pin-Fall (Muscular Bomb)

World-1 hit the ring and attack Blood Warriors for a moment but they break it up. Cima cuts a promo in Japanese and then mocks us for not understanding. He says that PAC and Ricochet will lose the United Titles tomorrow and then Warriors leave. Yoshino says World-1 will never give up. PAC looked like he was going to talk but music plays instead. Oh wait, it cuts off and now he’s talking. He incorrectly states this was their first live iPPV and Lenny Leonard reminds us it’s the first in-house PPV. PAC thanks us, Yoshino thanks us too and then asks everybody if they enjoyed the show.  He leads a DGUSA chant and the show is over.

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